Schumann: Scenes from Goethe's Faust

Featuring

Iwona Hossa
Christiane Libor
Anna Lubańska
Ewa Marciniec
Daniel Kirch
Jaakko Kortekangas

Andrew Gangestad
Antoni Wit
Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra
Warsaw Boys Choir
Warsaw Philharmonic Choir
Robert Schumann

Did you know?

1/7

Composer Biography

Robert Schumann, the composer, was the son of a bookseller, publisher, and writer, and showed an early interest in literature.

Composer's Artistic Vision

For his 'Scenes from Goethe's Faust', Schumann chose to focus on Goethe's 'great world' (Part II of Faust), particularly the finale scene of Faust's redemption and purification, rather than adapting the entire text for opera.

Performer Biography

Antoni Wit, the conductor, studied conducting with Henryk Czyz and composition with Krzysztof Penderecki at the Academy of Music in Kraków, and also graduated in law.

Composition History

Schumann's 'Scenes from Goethe's Faust' was composed intermittently over ten years, a period marked by his bouts of nervous depression.

Composer Biography

Schumann's ambitions as a pianist were hindered by a weakness in his fingers, leading him to focus on composition.

Recording & Production

This recording was made at the Warsaw Philharmonic Concert Hall in Poland, from April 21st to 28th, 2009.

Notable Performances

Schumann never heard a complete performance of his 'Scenes from Goethe's Faust'; the entire work was first performed in Cologne in 1862, six years after his death.